GRIFFITH, IN –Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has proposed legislation that would require all Indiana high schools to offer a Turning Point USA club, a conservative student organization, on their campuses.
Turning Point USA was founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk and gained national attention during the 2016 presidential election, when many college students in affiliated chapters supported Donald Trump. While the organization has long been active on college campuses, the proposal to mandate the club in Indiana high schools has increased its visibility among younger students.
According to its mission statement, Turning Point USA seeks to “identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets and limited government.”
Turning Point was first introduced to college students that were running for student government positions as conservative candidates. These students were supported financially by Turning Point, but quickly dropped out after finding out that the club had violated their college’s spending rules. The specific rule that was violated was 501(c)(3), which prohibits charities from engaging with political parties by financially aiding parties.
At the local level, Griffith Public Schools Superintendent Leah Dumezich expressed concern about requiring a politically affiliated club in public schools.
“Schools should be bipartisan,” Dumezich said. “A debate team would be a much more appropriate and effective way to explore political views and perspectives.”
Having a political club in the school could potentially escalate arguments and debates into something out of hand or violent. It could be difficult for Turning Point to find a sponsor at Griffith because some educators feel targeted by the organization. Those concerns stem from Turning Point’s “Professor Watchlist,” which the group uses to identify educators it believes promote far-left political views to students.
“There is a belief that educators are liberal or far left and that they push students toward those beliefs,” Dumezich said. “I know that is not true at Griffith Public Schools.”
